The Washington critic., 1887-05-28

the powers Of steam. Here also were inferred
the remains OF Commodore Decatur, who
fell In duel with Barron on the 22d day Of
March, 1920. Here also lived Colonel
George Bumford, when at the head Of the
Ordnance Bureau.
REAL ESTATE VALUES.
A General Advance Throughout tho
Country and Its Causes.
From the New York Hour. ro|
The rapid advance in the value Of real
estate throughout the United States, par
ticularly in the South and West, has oc-
casioned great surprise to many usually
well informtd people, aud to them these
advances seem unwarranted. On all sides
we hear prophecies Of dire disaster as the
final outcome. To certain extent this may
be true, for after very rapid rise some de-
preston usually follows, but the future
tendency Of prices Of realty must be higher.
A simple statement Of facts shows this to be
. foregone conclusion, for the broad truth
presents itself that the population Of the
United States is doubling in periods Of ab ,ut
twenty-five years, as the following figures,
taken from the United States census reports,
plainly show. According to these reports
our population in 100 was 5000, 900; 1900,
5,3O0,0 1910, 100000 1920, 5000, 900;
1880, $4,000. 900; 1910. 17,l0o, 900; 1850, 49,
100000; 1860, 81, 400, 900; 1870, $4,000, 900;
1880, 50,20O,0 900. According to this ratio Of
increase we shou uld have In 1885, 62,sOO, 900;
1890, s,4Oo, 900; 1895, 77,OOO, 900; 1900, 9a,-
100000, and in 1905 over 100 million Of peo.
pie.
This increase is due largely to immigra-
ton. From 1870 to 1880 the Government
reports that 2, ,7Os, 900 emigrants came to this
country, and in the following years up to
1885, we received $4,000, q gain Of over
100000 in these years over the preceding
10. From 1880 to 1885, inclusive, there were
received in New York alone 2,2s8, ,0OO, and
since the 1st Of January the tide Of immi-
grafton increased, for in the lrst quarter Of
the current year 50,730 arrived in Castle
Garden. In the month Of April the enor-
nous number Of 54,235 arrived, and the
present month will show a much greater In
crease, as over $500 arrived In one day,
May 10, the largest number ever known.
This proves that there is not only no failing
OF In immigration, but that IL Is actually
on the increase. SO II our calculation on
the increase of population were based on
this alone the estimates before given would
be perfectly justiHable.
But the main cause Of the increase In
population is the great excess OF births over
deaths. The increase Of population from
1870 to 1880 was II 600, 900; of this amount
immigration furnished a,7oo,O0O, leaving
100000 due to the excess OF births over
deaths, or about 10 per cent. This is
also proven in another way. The ceusus
Of 1850 shows, of the 5O,2OO,OOO popula-
tion, those Of foreign birth were 6,67e,9i3
and those OF native birth were 43,475, $40,
being S6.6S per cent. Of the total. While
cur population Is gaining with such en-
hanced rapidity the acreage remains the
same.
The area Of the United States without
Alaska is 100000 square miles. The
original thirteen States, now including
Maine, Vermont and West Virginia, have
$4,000 square miles, and, according to the
census OF 1880, s6a 900 were taken for set.
tlement, with rural population Of 35 per
square mile. The Western States
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas,
Nebraska and Texas-by many con-
sidered on the frontier aud sparsely
settled, have Gee, 900 square miles, and by
the same census $4,000 were then taken
for settlement, with population Of 8. to
the square mile. The other States lying be-
tween these two groups mentioned, both
North and South, including Kentucky,
Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michi-
gan, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, Alabama and Florida, had eO5,0OO
square miles, and taken for settlement 50O,-
COO, with q population Of 28t to tho square
mile.
By adding 5000, ,0Os population To the lat
ter, and lees than ii, 100000 to the former,
they would be as populous as the original
thirteen States. The General Land Oiilce's
report for the year 1885 shows there was no
land remaining unsurveyed, and therefore
unoccupied, in Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi.
Illinois, Alabama, Missouri, Ark ansas,
Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Kansas.
Nebraska h as only $500 acres, out of
total Of nearly 100000. Further West.
In the States Of Colorado, Oregon, Nevada
and California, together with the different
Territories, remains body Of land COM
prising some l, 400, 900 square miles, broken
by chains Of mountains, and containing
within its borders vast tracts Of distant
land, practically irreclaimable. Yet.
wherever fertile land occurs It has already
been taken up even In tho most remote dis
tricts, In the mountain valleys or the desert
when water can be brought to irrigate, aud
when 1t is too poor to pay profits to the
husbandman, cattle Craze wherever water
can be obtained. So Of this tract, the great
West Of the present day, the report Of the
General Land Oflice for 1885, shows over
one-half-being 72l, 500 square miles-has
been surveyed.
The surveyed lands located and undis-
posed of on June Both, 1885, the Commits
sioner reports as being only 425, ,5Sl square
miles. Thus, whichever way we may turn,